Misha's Vineyard was established by Andy and Misha Wilkinson on a spectacular site on the edge of Lake Dunstan in the Bendigo sub-region of Central Otago, New Zealand. The estate covers around 57 hectares of high, north-facing terraces above the lake, farmed under a 'no compromise' sustainable regime that suits the region's dry, continental climate and marked diurnal shift. 'The Starlet' Sauvignon Blanc is estate-grown from these elevated terraces, where cool nights and long, bright autumn days preserve natural acidity and drive varietal pungency. The 2024 growing season in Central Otago gave ripe yet nervy fruit, expressed here through gooseberry, citrus, stone fruit and a savoury dried-herb character that the critics tie firmly to a sense of place.

Hand-harvested estate fruit was pressed and cool-fermented in stainless steel using a mix of cultured and wild yeasts to build aromatic complexity while retaining freshness and drive. The wine was then rested briefly on fine lees to add texture and a subtle saline weight to the mid-palate before bottling under screwcap. The style is deliberately crisp, dry and lively, showing pure lemon, gooseberry, pineapple and peach lifted by nettle and a fine lees complexity, with a sandy mineral thread and a long, saline finish. There is no oak; the emphasis throughout is on purity, energy and site expression.